The development of a city normally proceeds from its centre outwards. Nine municipalities on the outskirts of Lausanne, however, are going about things a different way. They have taken the initiative and drawn up a development plan of their own which enables them to play a part in shaping the evolution of the places where they live. The emphasis is very much on inspiration and inventiveness, placing greater weight on mutual agreement and pragmatism than is possible within the customarily rigid planning process. The goal is to transform a fragmented and heterogeneous urban sprawl into a new, coherent district containing spaces open to that public that play a key role in enhancing their quality.
The exhibition in the main hall of the ETH Zurich comes at a pivotal moment: the study phase is now complete and the work of planning and execution has begun. The efficiency and feasibility of the strategy adopted will now be crucial. The exhibition follows the progress to date of the development plan, called the “Schéma directeur de l’Ouest lausannois”. It illustrates the novel approach to urban planning through a mixture of films, models, road signs and machines, and asks whether the plan is robust enough to stand up to the immense speculative pressure which it faces. The publication on the project is available from the gta Institute throughout the exhibition period.

An exhibition by Archizoom – EPFL in collaboration with the bureau schéma directeur de l’Ouest lausannois (SDOL) and the Institute gta